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Mower County Administrator sends out letter addressing circulating rumors of facility’s closing

 

The Mower County Jail is not closing.

That’s the message County Administrator Trish Harren Gjersik sent out to community leaders as well as the Herald in a letter early Wednesday evening and is in response to rumors circulating in the community, county and on social media that the nearly 15-year-old building is closing.

Harren Gjersik acknowledged the rumors in the message, but stated emphatically that there is no effort to close the facility.

“I am writing to address a rumor circulating in the city/county that the Mower County Jail is closing,” Harren Gjersik’s letter began. “I can assure you that is not true.”

Harren Gjersik acknowledged that she too has been receiving messages regarding the jail, however, in reality work is being conducted relating to a space needs study and 20-year masterplan.

“We are analyzing almost every county building and function,” she said.

“In the detention center (jail) that means we are looking at the number of beds we have, what level of licensing we have/need, what are the separation of custody needs, what new Department of Correction requirements are coming down the pike and what might we anticipate that will do to our planning,” Harren Gjersik continued. “Our jail is nearly 15 years of age. Life expectancy is 40 years. So our facility has a lot of life left. We don’t anticipate any major structural changes that we will need to make in the 20 year plan.”

One of the foundations for the rumors is that the jail does not have enough inmates to keep the jail open.

However, Harren Gjersik said sentencing guidelines and alternatives to incarceration have led to less people being sentenced similar to numbers from 15 years ago.

Harren-Gjersik further stated that the county is acquiring data to further hone how the county utilizes its facilities, including the jail. That includes working with experts including the architectural firm Klein McCarthy.

“By doing this space study and creating a 20-year masterplan, Mower County is simply doing what we are obligated to do — assess the needs and functionality of our facilities and processes so that we can make the best use of taxpayer dollars while providing the highest quality of service,” Harren Gjersik said.

The $28 million Jail and Justice Center opened in December in 2010.